Cochon Butcher | New Orleans Swine Bar by Chef Donald Link

Welcome to the Swine Bar

If you adhere to the rules of Halal or Kosher cookery, you probably don’t want to eat at Cochon Butcher. A sign on the door announces it is a “Swine Bar.” A full-service swine bar, indeed: charcuterie, butcher shop, saloon, deli, and nonchalant sit-down eatery. The menu offers sandwiches, sliders, and small plates.

Easy-Going Eatery

Cochon Butcher is even more easy-going than its around-the-corner older brother, Cochon. This gem in Chef Donald Link‘s crown operates on the do-it-yourself system that is ever more popular in New Orleans’ casual eateries. Place an order at the counter and take a numbered placard to a table. They then bring the food to you. Crowds of pork lovers flock to this place. Popular and always crowded, the dining area rocks with jubilant conversation. These customers know they are on to something good.

Boudin and BBQ

Boudin gets star billing. It is mild and meaty, moist, and edged with the sultry savor of poblano peppers. Smoke flavor infuses barbecue pork, which is a heterogeneous heap of chunks, shreds and nuggets. Its tender meat glistens with juice. The menu bills it as “Carolina style.” That indicates it has a touch of vinegar tang. Sausage aficionados need to know about the Cajun pork dog. This dramatically plump, bursting-at-the-seams sausage comes on a toasted pretzel bun. Ask for it dressed “all the way” and you get both chili and sauerkraut.

Do Not Neglect Dessert

Good as the meats and side dishes are, I implore you to save appetite for dessert. Key lime pie is a double-tall masterpiece on a thick ribbon of moist Graham cracker crust.

Pork-Frowners Are Welcome, Too

By the way, you will find a number of non-pork dishes on the menu of this swine bar. These include smoked turkey sandwiches, brisket sliders, duck pastrami, and pretty little pimento cheese sandwiches on crustless white bread.